Fresh Blood

Aging is going through an interesting transformation these days. As more and more Baby Boomers hit retirement age, it seems we are fighting harder against getting older. You know the slogans: “50 is the new 30”; “I may be getting older, but I refuse to grow up”; and the classic “Old guys rule.” We may refer to ourselves as graybeards (I certainly have more gray -- actually white -- in my chin stubble than any other color) but most of the graybeards I know don’t act like our grandparents did. This magazine is proof. We still play with cars!

Yet despite the denial, the cold, hard facts are that, like our cars, we are getting older. Unlike our cars, though, our personal “restoration” efforts can only go so far. Our cars will likely outlive us. But will anyone care after we’re gone?

Young people today just aren’t as interested in cars as we were. Statistics bear this out: The number of teenagers applying for their driver’s licenses on their 16th birthday has dropped by almost a full third. Anecdotally, too, I know that among the kids orbiting my life -- my daughter’s friends, my nieces, neighbors -- there aren’t many who drive, or even want to, let alone see a car as something to enjoy.

Blame what you will -- social media, today’s boring cars -- the fact is most kids don’t have the passion for cars that we had, and still have. Which makes me wonder what’s going to happen to our hobby and all these wonderful cars if there’s no new generation of enthusiasts who will appreciate or even be able to drive them. Seriously. Given the drop in the number of teens who drive at all, you can imagine how few of them know how to drive a stick.

So, what can we do about this? There’s no putting the social media genie back in its bottle. Nor can we do much to stop the evolution of wheeled transportation, which is turning our cars into appliances. (Don’t even get me started about autonomous cars.)

What we can do is become goodwill ambassadors for our hobby, performing outreach to younger generations. You’ve heard this before. It’s the “take a kid to a car show” philosophy. But step it up a bit. Looking at old cars is one thing. Going for a ride -- feeling the push back of a big-block’s torque, the wind in their faces -- takes it to a whole other level entirely.

Most kids don’t have the passion for cars that we had, and still have.

I heard of another great idea from reader Dan Nicewander. (Those of you with long memories will remember Dan’s G.T. 350 tribute as one of our “Magnificent Six” Power Tour rides back in Sept. ’08.) As he put in his email to me, he and his wife Lynn “have a passion to encourage young people (actually any ages, really) to get involved in the car hobby. We have read so many articles on needing to do this that it got us thinking. Why not have a get-together where we can expose people to the fun side of the hobby in a low stress/pressure event? An event where it’s OK to bring what you drive because it’s what you have and love, versus feeling like it has to be ‘show worthy.’ Make it a day where people who wouldn’t stop at a traditional car show might turn out.”

What the Nicewanders came up with is an annual gathering called Muscle by the Lake, held at their home in Minnesota. As it happens their home is on Thole Lake, and has a gorgeous lawn, perfect for parking a select group of cars. “We invite all the neighbors, friends who don’t have rides, kids from church, and other non-car folks, and then hunt down people who do have rides and encourage them to come,” says Dan.

He’s managed the details well too. The show is short -- just a couple of hours -- so as not to infringe on other family activities. There’s plenty of food, thanks to their potluck style of entertaining: The Nicewanders provide meat to grill, and everyone is encouraged to bring a dish to share. At the end of the show the cars head out on a short cruise “to a coffee or ice cream place, which we change up every year.”

The 2013 edition was their third, “and it’s proven to be a huge hit with our friends and friends-of-friends,” says Dan. “We’ve had up to 17 rides and close to 50 people, so it’s big enough to be fun but still intimate and personal.” The cars on display make up an eclectic bunch -- this year there were five Mustangs, two Corvettes, two Mercedes, and a Challenger, Road Runner, Camaro, Corvair, Jeep, Porsche, Celica, and Dodge Power Wagon. And that’s a good thing. Something for everyone. A key to keeping our hobby alive is to be as inclusive as possible. The bigger the tent, the more people we can fit in it.

I hope the Nicewander’s show will inspire some of you to put on a similar gathering in your area, with your friends and friends-of-friends. You can learn more about the Nicewander’s show by visiting the website musclebythelake.yolasite.com. And if you do throw a show like this, let us know. We’ll spread the news.